Norrøna Owner & CEO, Jørgen Jørgensen, on Norrøna’s History & Design Philosophy (Ep.265)
Norrøna aspires to make the best outdoor recreation products on the market. So we talk with Jørgen Jørgense, the 4th-generation owner & CEO of Norrøna, about the brand’s approach to product design & testing, and the origins, evolution, and future of the brand.
Why All Your Jackets Are Going to Change: Ditching PFAS w/ Outdoor Research (Ep.264)
PFAS chemicals have been used in tons of technical apparel for decades, but that streak is ending very soon. So we sat down with Outdoor Research’s Alex Lauver to learn about this significant shake-up to the outdoor industry; PFAS-free DWR alternatives; how this will impact consumers and manufacturers alike, and more.
GEAR THERAPY! – Session #3 (Ep.263)
When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. Sometimes you don’t even know where to start. You need some help! So in our 3rd session of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member, Arika Poulin Weller, joins Blister reviewers Kara Williard and Kristin Sinnott to get some advice on 1-ski quivers, alpine ski boots, broad ski-gear jargon and what it all means, and more.
BOA & Ski Boot Design with Hoji, K2’s Tom Pietrowski, Fischer’s Christoph Lentz, Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti, and Dynafit’s Ross Herr (Ep.262)
Hoji and ski boot designers from K2, Fischer, Dalbello, and Dynafit discuss ski boot design in general; the hype and skepticism around BOA (are boot buckles dying?); the balancing act of designing a walk mechanism; the challenges presented by the boot-binding interface, and more.
Blister Labs: Technical Apparel Testing Update (Ep.261)
Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle.
A Guide to Skiing in New Zealand with Outside Sports (Ep.260)
Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? We talk with local Kiwi experts from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails and how to make the most of it.
GEAR THERAPY! — Session #2 (Ep.259)
When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! Welcome to our 2nd episode of Gear Therapy, with Spokane-based ski patroller, Kam Smith.
G3’s Recyclable R3 Skis & Boards with G3 Founder, Oliver Steffen (Ep.258)
We talk with Oliver Steffen, founder and president of G3, about their new line of “R3” ski and snowboards, which G3 says are 100% recyclable. We discuss how they accomplished this; the recycling process; how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry; why Oliver’s passion for innovation and problem-solving led him down this path, and more.
Blister Labs: Blister Community Reviews Update (Ep.257)
Too often, the consumer reviews you find online are incomplete and unhelpful. But through our Blister Labs partnership with Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder, we’re working to change that.
GEAR THERAPY! — Session #1 (Ep.256)
When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! Welcome to our inaugural edition of Gear Therapy.
Magnus Granér & Peyben on 1000 Skis & Moving the Culture Forward (Ep.255)
We talk with Magnus Granér & Peyben about launching and evolving 1000 Skis; how they developed their current ski lineup; analyzing the brand’s environmental impact and acting on those findings; the latest Bunch film; why they’re psyched on the current state and trajectory of freeskiing, and a whole lot more.
SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, on Their ‘Green Manifesto’ & B Corp Status (Ep.254)
Kim Miller, Scarpa North America’s CEO, is back on GEAR:30 to discuss Scarpa’s Green Manifesto and their pathway to B Corp certification, plus we talk about the life cycle of certain products; some of Scarpa’s gear that exemplifies this commitment to sustainability; what some of the challenges and takeaways have been; and much more.
Blister Labs: Wheelset Testing — Updates & Initial Results (Ep.253)
Today we’re providing some updates and discussing the implications of the initial results of our Blister Labs wheelset testing with Greg Vanderbeek and Travis Hainsworth.
Athletes & Product Design (Ep.252)
When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss exactly that, plus a whole lot more.
Rethinking Apparel: WNDR Alpine & Beyond Surface Technologies (Ep.251)
Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that.
Kästle Ski Boots: Origins, Design, & 23/24 Lineup (Ep.250)
For decades, Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so we talked to Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to get all the details on the backstory and latest collection of Kästle ski boots.
New Binding Tech: Tyrolia Protector Bindings with Full Heel Release (Ep.249)
Tyrolia’s Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of this conversation.
Ferreol Skis: Reenvisioning Ski Construction (Ep.248)
We talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.
Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3 (Ep.247)
Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition is another fun one.
Ski Binding Design with Hoji, Lars Chickering-Ayers, & Giray Dadali (Ep.246)
Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) discuss the past, present, and future of ski bindings; “acceptable use”; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards”; and more.
Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1 (Ep.245)
Which bike brand and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis.
Safeback SBX: A New Avalanche Survival System (Ep.244)
If you spend any time — inbounds or in the backcountry — skiing or riding in avalanche terrain or near tree wells, then you need to listen to this episode.
Powder Ski Design w/ Folsom’s Mike McCabe (Ep.243)
Today Mike McCabe and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the design elements of skis built for the deepest of days, and their recent trip to Alaska.
Coalition Snow: 10 Years of Skis & Snowboards, 23/24 Lineup, & More w/ Founder & CEO, Jen Gurecki (Ep.242)
Kara Williard talks with Jen Gurecki, founder and CEO of Coalition Snow, about operating a women-owned ski and snowboard company for the past 10 years; how the vision has evolved; their brick-and-mortar storefront; inclusive trips around the world; initiatives to grow the sport and the community; their 23/24 lineup; and more.
Powder Skis in AK with Paul & Jonathan (Ep.241)
Jonathan is currently in AK with Paul Forward, Chugach Powder Guides, and a great crew. So he & Paul talk about the skis they’ve been getting time on (from Heritage Lab, Folsom, DPS, K2); some new skis we’d like to see; crème brûlée crust; and the new Lange Shadow boot.
Jonathan’s Gear for AK, Luke’s Latest Crash, & More (Ep.240)
Jonathan and Luke talk about closing day at CBMR; the gear JE is bringing to AK; liners; the Rossi Sender Free 110, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Volkl Revolt 114, Luke’s new stitches, & more.
Diving into Blizzard’s 23/24 Ski Lineup (Ep.239)
We talk with Blizzard’s Christian Avery about the overhauled Rustler & Sheeva skis; where their Hustle line of skis slots into the mix; and why nobody should be sleeping on the Cochise.
Shop Talk: Gear West on Year-Round Relevance, Community, & Specialty Service (Ep.238)
We talk with Jeff and Isabel from Gear West in Long Lake, MN to hear about how they’ve built a year-round community at their “campus”; the challenges and upsides of providing multi-sport services throughout the year; the effects of recent uphill access at Buck Hill; a couple of gear trends, and more.
ZipFit “Inner Boots”; the Growth of ZipFit; Reviewing Ski Boots; & More with Jeff Colt (Ep.237)
We talk with Jeff Colt, Brand Director for ZipFit, about “inner boots”; first-day vs. 3rd-day fit; reviewing ski boots; the new Zipfit x Fischer Ski Boots collab; and more.
Shop Talk: Skiing with Kids w/ Spokane Alpine Haus (Ep.236)
For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with the owners of Spokane Alpine Haus to talk kids and skiing, growing the next generation of skiers and snowboarders, and the gear that helps make it possible.